ROLLS ROYCE DAWN

Specifications

All-new Rolls-Royce’s don’t come along very often, so the Dawn is a very big deal. According to designer Giles Taylor, the objective of the open-top Wraith was to make its occupants look like rock stars. It’s named after the ultra-rare 1950s Silver Dawn and fills a newly emerging gap in Rolls’ portfolio: the Phantom Drophead Coupe is winding down and won’t be replaced until 2018. The Dawn thus leads the charge for a younger, more dynamic clientele.

It’s more than just a Wraith soft-top too. 80 per cent of the body panels are unique and even the tyres are bespoke. It’s not for shrinking violets and is a jaw-dropping thing to behold in the flesh: needless to say, the quarter-million pound price tag is just the starting point.

You don’t drive a Rolls-Royce, you experience it. It’s claimed to be the world’s stiffest four-seater convertible, and certainly feels very un-tremulous. It’s wider but shorter than the Ghost, with a lower centre of gravity, and has reworked suspension with active anti-roll bars. While it’s still not a car you’d be naturally inclined to hustle, if you do give it the hurry-up the Dawn disguises its weight and handles with amazing alacrity. Rather than steering with your fingertips, you engage with the Dawn.